Centre of Indians Trade Unions (CITU on Wednesday held a rally in Agartala against the Union Budget 2020-21. The CPM’s trade union also slammed the Union government for the newly introduced labour codes which the organization felt was against the interest of the daily-wage earners of the state.
Speaking on the occasion, CITU leader and former MP Shankar Prasad Datta said, “this year’s Union Budget is completely against the people of the working class. The central government has placed its lies in a tactical way before the people so that people think that fund allocation has been increased”.
Describing his own analysis of the health budget, Datta said, “it is being widely publicized that 137 percent increase is done in the health sector. But, if noticed carefully, it can be understood that the allocation has been made for six years. That means, last year fund allocation for the health sector stood at a little over Rs 67,000 crore and dividing the present figure with six it will come that Rs 10,000 crore is added for a year. And if, Rs 35,000 crore is subtracted for Covid 19 vaccination, only Rs 42, 000 crore is left”.
He also slammed the government for decreasing fund allocations in sectors like ICDS, MGNREGA, mid-day meal and other important sectors that are crucial for the people.
“The central government has decided to generate Rs 1, 75,000 crore through disinvestment. They are also gearing up to place the Electricity Bill once again. CITU is against all such activities that are against the public interest and we shall also demand scrapping of labour codes”, he added.
In the meantime, Left backed organizations of electricity workers also held a separate demonstration in the city against the Electricity Bill and said that it would not allow privatization of the electricity sector. It had extended solidarity to the national coordination committee that had called a strike on Wednesday.
